A flicker-free screen at an exceptional price
There’s still plenty of life left in the 24" monitor market. Talk of this screen size being the last generation, with 27" being the new poster child for monitor companies, is far from correct, with many manufacturers still producing some excellent examples.
BenQ is one such manufacturer, and the GW2455H is testament to the fact that you can still get a well-produced 24" monitor in this day and age.
The GW2455H features a flicker-free LED 24" VA panel placed within a splendid glossy bezel. Usually a glossy bezel is a no-go for monitor enthusiasts, but BenQ has managed to create an antifingerprint and dust finish to the GW2455H, giving the monitor an always clean, fresh look to it.
It has a dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000,000:1, native contrast of 3000:1, an 8ms response time and maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080. The avid gamers among you may well baulk at the response time there, but for the vast majority of users it’s more than enough for everyday tasks. And the connectivity is generous enough, with VGA, DVI and HDMI, plus a headphone port.
The main difference here with the GW2455H over most of the competition is the fact that BenQ has used a VA panel instead of the far cheaper TN alternative. Okay, so it’s not an IPS panel, but consider it as the next step down, with better than average viewing angles, contrast and colour accuracy.
Add to that the BenQ design features such as low blue light, Senseye 3 and an improved native contrast ratio, and you have a decent monitor on your hands. Sadly, though, there’s limited ergonomic movement, except for a standard tilt from -5º to 20º.
The overall designs is good, however. The glossy finish around the bezel is matched on the oval-shaped base and small connecting monitor stand. The result is a wellpresented monitor that’s better constructed than most 24" everyday screens you’ll come across.
The quality of the displayed image is excellent, considering it’s not an IPS panel. It’s perfectly clear, with a deep range of quite realistic colours and it produces a sharp and crisp effect on everything it displays. There’s a slight graininess when the monitor is displaying a solid light-colour, though, which is probably down to the matt-like panel itself, but it’s not something that’s going to distract you from the viewing. If anything, it’s a little easier on the eyes when bright whites and pale colours are displayed. The overall effect, though, is one of quality.
The best part of the BenQ GW2455H, though, is the price. At an average of £105, depending on where you shop, it’s certainly good value, and it’s ideal as an everyday monitor. David Hayward
A decent all-round monitor, with an excellent display.